Challenges For An Indian Psychiatrist

Psychiatry is a specialized profession that demands a unique set of skills. An Indian psychiatrist faces a wide range of unique challenges and problems. They range from technical and infrastructure issues to interpersonal skills and legal trouble. This article shows how these may affect you and your profession and how Online Docs can help overcome those challenges.

Psychiatry is a demanding and challenging profession on its own. As a psychiatrist, you help people come to terms with many problems. Unlike many other fields, there is still much more to learn about the human mind. Psychiatrists understand the delicate nature of their work and its effects on people. But the challenges of working as a psychiatrist in the real world are quite different. Indian psychiatrists can face several unique challenges in their professional lives.

The first step in managing these challenges is to identify them. This article goes through some of the common challenges facing Indian psychiatry. In it, you will learn about various essential problems and how you can meet them. An important issue facing Indian psychiatry is the persistent taboo around mental health. This taboo stems from the lack of awareness about mental health issues.

Taking on too much work is another problem to which Indian psychiatrists are prone. This issue is due to the large population and relatively low number of psychiatrists. India's diverse culture poses some challenges unique to the Indian psychiatrist. There are several endemic issues and challenges too. The lack of proper resources and the aversion to pharmacotherapy are two examples. It would help if you considered the legal and financial risks of practicing psychiatry in India.

Lastly, there are some individual challenges that every psychiatrist faces. You will initially take on leadership roles, albeit in a small capacity. There are ethical issues between patients and pharma companies. It would be best to learn how to tackle such personal matters as a psychiatrist. This article explores these points in detail and may help you prepare for these issues.

The Taboo Against Psychiatry

There is a tremendous stigma surrounding issues of mental disorders. Various studies show that the Indian public is reluctant to discuss mental illness. This aversion is due to many reasons, most likely due to the taboo around these issues. One of the key factors behind this may be semantic and can be handled easily. Some people apply the logic that doctors treat 'illnesses' to mental health professionals. They believe that anyone seeking psychiatric help has a 'mental illness.
The term mental illness has a specific negative connotation to it. Educating people about mental health issues should involve addressing such misconceptions. As a psychiatrist, you can start by educating your patients and their families. It may seem like a small step, but it can open people's eyes to such matters. You can talk to your patients and their families and help them learn about such topics. People must understand that a person seeking help with mental health issues is not a pariah.

Lack Of Awareness About Mental Health

As mentioned earlier, a lot of the taboo around mental health comes from a lack of awareness. Their lack of knowledge leaves people vulnerable to misinformation. Many people silently suffer from mental health issues like depression and anxiety problems. Talk to your patients about mental health and encourage them to do the same. Such conversations with friends and family can encourage people to seek help. That is often the first right step in their mental health journey.
Teaching young people the importance of mental health can have huge benefits. Younger people are more receptive to new ideas, especially in schools and colleges. You can think about organizing lectures and seminars in schools and colleges. Your local or regional psychiatric associations can help organize such events. In the long term, such an education can help them increase social awareness of these matters. It may help remove the taboo around seeking mental help in Indian society.

The Cultural and Linguistic Challenges You May Face

India's vastly diverse culture and many unique languages are a source of pride for Indians. However, this diversity can also be a challenge. Psychiatry is still a young and fledgling medical profession in India. So, job opportunities can arise from any corner of the country. As a young professional, you may land a job in a different state than your own. You may be expected to learn the local language at least to a basic proficiency. You would also need to become familiar with local customs and cultures.
These are essential factors as they may help you be more approachable to your patients. Mental health can be a delicate topic for most people. They may be more comfortable talking about it in a familiar language. No one would expect you to be fluent from the get-go, but it helps to keep practicing local languages. Familiarize yourself with local customs and traditions to help put patients at ease. These little touches add to your interpersonal skills and make you more approachable.

Lack of Resources

The lack of proper resources and inadequate healthcare infrastructure are common problems. Most Indian doctors, in mental health or otherwise, complain about these issues. These problems are common even if you work with a hospital or other healthcare facility. You may have patients who have other health issues and comorbidities. If your hospital does not have the resources to manage these issues, it may lead to problems. The situation may be direr in smaller or more remote establishments.
A few options are available to you at a personal or individual level. You could talk to your colleagues and make your management aware of these concerns. You may discuss such matters with your psychiatric association. If the lack of resources affects how you treat your patients, it can be a severe issue. Your management and other stakeholders should be made aware of these problems. Everyone must respect practical economic constraints, but healthcare is about patients.

Aversion To Pharmacotherapy

The taboo around mental health in India also stems from a fear of mental health medicines. People often read about extreme reactions to common drugs online. Their fear of these medicines makes convincing them of their benefits difficult. These fears may force psychiatrists to try alternative courses of treatment with patients. There may be a risk of under-prescribing medically necessary drugs to patients as some doctors may use newer medicines though they are not superior to existing ones.
Balancing your patients' fears and apprehensions against their medical needs can be challenging. But as the expert in this situation, this decision should be yours. You should be able to win the confidence and trust of your patients. At the same time, you should be mindful of your own biases. It would help if you embraced the advances in medicine, but it helps to keep the bigger picture in mind. If you know that a drug works without issues, you may not need to try something new.

Legal Risks to Your Practice

There is growing awareness about mental health issues in India. As a result, the government is enacting new laws governing the practice. There are, of course, the obvious ones, such as the Mental Healthcare Act 2017. But laws like the Consumer Protection Act also govern psychiatry. As a psychiatrist, you should be mindful of the laws that govern your actions. This caution is especially applicable if you operate as a private practitioner. Even if you work with a hospital, it helps to be aware of these laws.
You can consult with an expert in medical law to ensure your practice follows all the rules. After all, ignorance of the law cannot be a defense in court. Another step can be to protect yourself against possible legal liability through insurance. There are several insurance policies tailor-made for doctors. A properly designed policy can protect you from the legal consequences of a mistake. You should seek the help of an insurance expert, such as an insurance broker, for such services.

The Financial Burden of Running Your Psychiatric Practice

Most psychiatrists do not start by setting up their practice. Most choose to begin their careers in a hospital or perhaps with another approach, but many psychiatrists eventually decide to set up their course. You may do so for various reasons, each as valid as the last. The independent structure allows you to be your boss. It gives you the freedom to choose your patients and your treatment methods. The lure of financial success can also be why you may decide to start your practice.
Committing to setting up your psychiatric practice is a significant financial decision. But it always helps to take a step back and consider all aspects of this decision. You may choose to hire competent financial advisers, perhaps even on a part-time basis. Their financial insight can help you make financially sound decisions. Your staff, mainly those responsible for administrative duties, is also important. Hiring competent people who work responsibly and dutifully can be the key to success.

Your Leadership and Interpersonal Skills

Your leadership skills are essential whether you work in a hospital or your practice. Your interpersonal and leadership skills may help set you apart even as part of a team. Every doctor must master the art of handling different patients with different personalities. This skill is essential in psychiatry because you help manage mental health. Psychiatrists with good leadership skills may find it easier to win patients' trust. Psychiatry is challenging, so such skills can make your job easier.
Managerial and interpersonal skills can be challenging to develop without the right approach. No one set approach suits everyone in this regard. Attending seminars and talks where experts can share their ideas on the same topics helps. You can learn some of these skills by working with other, more skilled doctors. There are books and online courses to improve your leadership and interpersonal skills. It is important to note that these skills are something that you can keep working on lifelong.

Managing Ethical Challenges In Your Practice

Since psychiatry involves diagnosing mental health conditions, it has several ethical considerations. Your patients' records and information are secret and cannot be divulged to anyone. Sometimes, family members may pressure you into releasing such sensitive data. In some cases, people with ill intentions may even pretend to be family members. It would help if you carefully handle your patient's mental health information.
There are ethical concerns about interactions between psychiatrists and pharma companies. As a professional requirement, you should have a healthy dialogue with drug manufacturers. But it always helps to be mindful of the nature of such interactions. Other countries have laws that govern how doctors and companies deal with each other. India, too, is developing similar laws. You can approach your psychiatric association for ethical guidance in this regard.